Verbena plant named ‘Balazsilma’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Balazsilma’, characterized by its outwardly spreading plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; and light violet-colored flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Verbena hybrida cultivarBalazsilma.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Balazsilma’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new freely flowering Verbena cultivars with anoutwardly spreading growth habit. large full inflorescences andattractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Verbena originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin 2001 of a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as codenumber 262, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with theVerbena hybrida cultivar Tortuga White, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The cultivar Balazsilma was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from thiscross-pollination in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings taken at ArroyoGrande, Calif., since May, 2001, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Balazsilma’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Balazsilma’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Dark green-colored leaves.

3. Light violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the parents inplant growth habit and flower coloration.

The new Verbena can be compared to the cultivar, Sunvivabupa, notpatented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in WestChicago, Ill., plants of the new Verbena differed from plants of thecultivar Sunvivabupa in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Verbena were shorter than and not as vigorous asplants of the cultivar Sunvivabupa.

2. Plants of the new Verbena had larger leaves and longer petioles thanplants of the cultivar Sunvivabupa.

3. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller flowers than plants of thecultivar Sunvivabupa.

4. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely flowering than plants ofthe cultivar Sunvivabupa.

5. Flower color of plants of the new Verbena was lighter violet thanflower color of plants of the cultivar Sunvivabupa.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of aflowering plant of ‘Balazsilma’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalinflorescence of ‘Balazsilma’. Flower and foliage colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Verbena.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Balazsilma has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in West Chicago, Ill., under commercial practice in apolycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 21to 26° C., night temperatures ranging from 17 to 18° C. and light levelsranging from 5,000 to 8,000 foot-candles. Plants used for thephotographs and description were about 12 weeks from planting rootedcuttings in 10-cm containers. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar Balazsilma.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified ascode number 262, not patented.

Male parent.— Verbena hybrida cultivar Tortuga White, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Stem cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days at 18° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 21 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fibrous; whitish in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Outwardly spreading plant habit; eventuallytrailing.

Growth and branching habit.—Freely basal branching; about five lateralbranches develop per plant. Pinching, that is, removal of the terminalapices, enhances branching with lateral branches potentially forming atevery node. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 7.7 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 50.7 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.Internode length: About 2.7 cm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length: About 4.5cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Venationpattern: Pinnate. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, uppersurface: 147A; venation, 145C. Young and fully expanded foliage, lowersurface: 147B; venation, 145C. Petiole: Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter:About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,upper and lower surfaces: 145C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single upright salverform flowers arranged onhemispherical corymbs. Freely flowering with about 29 flowers perinflorescence. Inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliage.Flowers last about three to four days under greenhouse conditions.Flowers persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flowering season.—In the garden, flowering is continuous from springuntil fall.

Inflorescence height.—About 3.3 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.9 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.9 cm. Tube length: About 2 cm. Throatdiameter, distal: About 2 mm. Tube diameter, proximal: About 1 mm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 3.2 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Rounded.Color: 92B.

Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower fused at base. Lobelength: About 8 mm. Lobe width: About 6 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower petal surfaces:Glabrous, smooth. Texture, throat and tube: Pubescent. Color: Whenopening, upper surface: N82C. When opening, lower surface: 85C. Fullyopened, upper surface: 85A; color becoming closer to 94D withdevelopment. Fully opened, lower surface: 85D; color becoming closer to97D with development. Throat: 150D. Tube: 145D.

Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five, fused into a tube. Length: About 1.2cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color, upper andlower surfaces: 143A.

Pedicels.—Length: About 5.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Strength:Strong. Angle to stem: Acute. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Four per flower. Anther shape:Spade-like. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 150A. Pollenamount: Sparse. Pollen color: 1B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.Pistil length: About 1.6 cm. Stigma length: About 1 mm. Stigma shape:Funnel-like. Stigma color: 145A. Style length: About 1.4 cm. Stylecolor: 149D. Ovary diameter: About 1 mm. Ovary color: 145A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed tobe tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named‘Balazsilma’, as illustrated and described.